Random Review: Claiming Marcus by Jocelynn Drake #Review #Giveaway

Title: Claiming Marcus 
Series: Lords of Discord #1
Author: Jocelynn Drake
Self Published
Publication Date: October 31, 2019
Length: 350 pages 

Reviewed by Sammy

Synopsis

Vampires slaughtered my family.
No one believed me until I met some new friends, who promised to help me get justice.
But nothing prepared me for Marcus Varik.
Tall, dark, and mind-numbingly sexy.
But he’s also shy, protective, and adorably eccentric.
Oh God, I should have never agreed to betray him. 
Hopefully, it's not too late to fix my mistake before I lose more people I love.
Claiming Marcus is the first book in an MM paranormal romance series that has vampires, betrayal, annoying brothers, music, heartbreak, hope, sexy times, and a raven named Ozzie.

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Review

Ethan’s entire family was mercilessly slaughtered by vampires while he hid in a closet just out of reach. Now an adult, Ethan can remember the chilling voice of the female vamp who took such glee in murdering his sisters and parents and all he can think of is avenging their deaths. When Ethan teams up with a group of hunters who seem a bit bloodthirsty but fit the bill for helping him exact his revenge he learns that all he will have to do is get close to the band of brothers who care for their mother and get the information back to the team that will kill them. But Marcus Varik is entirely unlike any image that Ethan has ever entertained of a vampire. First off, he is kind and seems more human than anything else. Secondly, Ethan is beginning to like the man—perhaps even love him and now he is going to have to find a way to get out of the deal he made with the rabid vampire hunting group he so foolishly aligned himself with, confess to Marcus what he has done and hope the man doesn’t refuse to see him ever again.

Jocelynn Drake has begun a new paranormal series called Lords of Discord featuring the Varik family. The first book, Claiming Marcus, lays out the details of how each of the four brothers were made and have since taken care of their mother whose tendency toward bipolar disorder as a human becomes an erratic thirst for destructive killing when she is triggered. Since the brothers never really know when she will turn violent, they watch over her and keep her from killing humans. Ethan knows about her existence and wants to find out if she and her sons were the ones who killed his family.

While the romance that crops up between Marcus and Ethan can’t really be described as an insta-love situation it is still pretty quick. What makes it a little unbelievable is the fact that Ethan goes from hating vampires to loving one fairly fast and then even considers what might happen if he is ever to become one. However, the plot of the story is clear that while Ethan wants revenge, he has also moved on with his life in other areas, pursing college and making a life for himself. He has dated, not seriously, but still the man is definitely not just waiting around with a lust to kill his enemy as his main reason for living. I did feel it was this expanded view of his life that opened the door for the plausibility of Ethan being able to recognize that not all vampires were evil killers and that, in turn, made way for the relationship that develops between he and Marcus.

Marcus is a classic tragic figure—allowing himself to be turned but still maintaining old world values and ideas—such as being ashamed that he is gay. It takes Ethan and his gentle kindness toward the shy and closeted Marcus to draw out the sexual side of the handsome vampire. There are some subtle hints at kink and a dom/sub tendency flares in both men but there is also a quiet intimacy that builds between them and makes this a lovely romance. The other brothers are very different in personality and should make for some great stories to come in the series. The action aspect of the novel was very well done and kept the pace swift and the story itself, mesmerizing.

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